[Adventures] In Getting Out of Our Comfort Zones

[Adventure 170]

The other day we went and did a thing. And then we did another thing later that day. Two entire things in one day that were with different people and not at our house. It was weird and a bit uncomfortable at first to be going and doing and interacting, but very much worth it.

The first thing I did that day was with Austen, Eris, and Onyx. We met up with our friends and went to a lake to hang out. While three of us sat at a picnic table and chatted, four of the teens stood on the beach chatting for a while and then decided to canoe and kayak. 

Several unbelievable things happened. 

The first was that Onyx and Eris got into a canoe and paddled into the lake while their friends paddled with them in kayaks. Then they switched out, with friends in the canoe and my children in the kayaks. All of this was out of the comfort zones of my children, who not only had never been in a canoe or kayak on their own before, but who also at one point or another had a fear of doing so. For some reason that day, the fear and discomfort didn't matter, they did it anyway. 

The second, at least according to my children, was that I allowed them to hop in these things and go out into a lake, knowing they were inexperienced and had a past of fear and trepidation when it came to doing such a thing.

I explained to them that my initial reaction was one of discomfort with the concept, but that quickly I came to the conclusion that they need to do things for a first time at some point, and that I didn't want to dull their experience with my anxiety. I knew they were conquering discomfort and having fun doing it. This is the stuff of parenting - one of the lettings-go that consume their teenage years. 

We made a quick stop home to clean up and change the configuration of our group. Eris stayed home and my husband, Jim, joined us. We then headed to Epoch Arts for their mainstage production, Golden Revolution, in which starred some of my children's friends, and, most importantly, Austen's girlfriend. 

Then we sat in an audience and watched a play....which was an adventure all its own.